By The Telegram Sports Staff

Jerett Payne came away with a victory in the third place match of Garden City High School's Class 6A regional tennis tournament at Dodge City on Thursday. The win helped the Buffaloes to a third-place team finish, and Payne clinched a spot at the state tournament in Goddard on May 9-10.

"Jerett was very happy with his results," Garden City coach Rod Robinson said. "He's ready to play in the state tournament."

Payne breezed through his first two matches before falling in the semifinals to Danny Jones from Goddard, 6-2, 6-1. He rebounded in the third-place match, beating Mitchell Whitmer of Wichita-Haysville-Campus, 6-2, 6-1 to clinch the Buffaloes only state tournament berth.

Cole Proffitt was one win shy of qualifying for Garden City in the No. 2 singles spot. He won his first match, then lost his second in a tiebreaker 7-5, 7-6 (7-2).

"Cole came very close," Robinson said. "He played harder than anyone at the tournament, he just couldn't get the right point at the right time."

The Buffaloes' No. 1 doubles team Brandon Stucky and Andy Larkin took their first match against Dodge City, rallying after dropping the first set 3-6 to win the final two, 6-3, 6-4. In their next match, Stucky and Larkin were dropped in straight sets 6-1, 6-0.

Peyton Nelson and Todd Wells also won their first match as Garden City's No. 2 doubles team, but fell against the top-seed from Goddard Raymond Nola and Matt VanHorn in their second match 6-2, 6-0.

"We were happy to get third place as a team," Robinson said. "They played hard and represented Garden City tennis well."

Payne will be the lone Buffalo continuing his season when he travels to the state tournament May 9-10 in Goddard.

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Class 6A Regional tennis

Thursday, May 1

at Dodge City

Team Results

1. Goddard 12; 2. Maize 12; 3. Garden City 6; 4. Wichita Northwest 4; 5. Dodge City 1; 6. Wichita South 1; 7t. Wichita North 0; 7t. Haysville-Campus 0.

Garden City Individual Results

Singles

Jarrett Payne def. Whitmer, Haysville-Campus 7-6, 6-2; def. Khounsonbath, Maize 6-1, 6-2; lost to Jones, Goddard, 6-2, 6-1; def. Marceau, Goddard 6-2, 6-1.

Cole Proffitt def. Villa, Dodge City 6-1, 6-2; lost to Marceau, Goddard 7-5, 7-6 (7-2).

Doubles

Brandon Stucky/Andy Larkin def. Williams/Hutchcraft, Dodge City 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; lost to Sims/Ashworth, Maize 6-1, 6-0.

Peyton Nelson/Todd Wells def. Neidhart/Heinrichs, Dodge City 6-6-3, 6-2; Nola/VanHorn, Goddard 6-2, 6-0.